Melting the Ice
by Passionate Cec
Summary: After Solitudes, Colonel O'Neill and Captain Carter talk in the infirmary and share their feelings about their common unpleasant experience. In a very particular way.


Hello. :)

I'm very aware that this has been done more than once. But I just couldn't resist. And I wrote all of it at once because the darned word page refused to close itself and the darned words just kept flowing.

The bit about the sprained knee I actually found here : http : / / stargate - sg1 - solutions . com / wiki / Samantha _ Carter : _ Injuries _ Received (just delet all the spaces. :P) I don't know how accurate and trust worthy it is. But it does seem likely that Sam didn't come out completely unscathed. And a sprained knee is as good an injury for this fic as any.

It might be a little OOC although I'm staying in canon and this is only slightly fluffy.

As usual, Stargate SG-1 and its characters don't belong to me. I make no money with this story. Its sole purpose is entertainment. No copyright infringement intended.

I hope you'll like this and it would be really nice if you could leave me a little something on your way out. Tell me what you thought about this and how you liked it.

Enjoy. :)

**Melting**** the ****Ice**

'You're limping.' Jack O'Neill noted from his bed on which he was still reclining, leg propped up, pillows fluffed up under his back. 'Pretty bad I might add.'

'Sprained knee, sir.' The young Captain admitted.

Sam Carter was slowly and painfully approaching his bed. He could see the hem of the infirmary gown sticking out from under the thick and heavy blanket she was wearing around her shoulders. She had managed to convince Janet to let her wear sweatpants and warm socks – which she wore under the infirmary slippers. And simply for the pants and socks, he envied her. They looked warm, cozy and comfortable. And he couldn't get any. Hell, he was stuck in bed for at least another few days to wait for his leg to heal a bit. Even though she was stuck in the infirmary as well, at least she could move around. Though very painstakingly. He could see crutches resting against the wall by her bed and rolled his eyes at her having ignored them. She could barely touch her right foot to the ground without biting her lip to keep from whimpering or crying out in pain.

She reached his bed and winced, looking for a chair. She didn't find one and set one hand on the side of his bed so she could relieve some of the weight off her left leg. Trying to stand fully on her right was completely out of the question. The short trip from her bed to his had hurt enough. The Colonel seemed to notice that and patted the side of his bed, prompting her to sit down. She didn't resist long, sighing in relief once she could finally take the weight off both her limbs.

'Should have used the crutches.' He told her.

'Definitely. I won't be making that mistake again.'

'You okay, Carter? You're looking a bit pale.'

'Just the pain, sir. It'll pass.' He nodded and grimaced slightly.

'You're not getting the good drugs, are you?'

'No. Not hurt enough to warrant the real stuff.'

'And yet hurt enough to really want it.' He completed with yet another nod. He knew she wouldn't have added that on her own. But he also understood that it was exactly how she felt.

'Definitely. You're looking better, sir.'

'Yeah. But I'm getting the good stuff. Ribs are still stiff.'

'Leg?'

'Healing. Not there yet but I'll be up and about soon enough. Frasier said your splint was pretty good for a first time and for a make do splint.' He said with a friendly wink.

'I'm glad.' She shuddered and Jack winced slightly, sending her a sympathetic look.

'Still getting the shivers too, huh?'

She nodded, a tiny smile tugging at her lips. And the look on her face made her look so much younger and he briefly thought that his thinking she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen was sick. She was way too young for him to even dare entertain thoughts about her.

'Yeah, I get them too. Feels like there's still ice wrapped around my bones.' They shuddered as one and chuckled. Sam pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

'Sir, if there is one thing I do not want to hear about right now, it's ice. And snow.' He chuckled and nodded in agreement. 'So until further notice, I say we avoid those two words or anything related to cold.'

'Right with you on that one, Captain.'

'Good.'

They were silent for a while, she pulling at a few strings hanging loose from the edge of the blanket while he looked at her. Her right cheek was almost completely bruised, the skin blue and black, the scraped skin still an angry red. He could see several more bruises and scratches on her face and he was pretty sure there were more under the various fabrics. They were not nasty or in any way life threatening and would heal quickly without even leaving a scar. But the dark patches only enhanced the palor of her skin.

There were dark circles under her eyes which had nothing to do with being injured and he remembered, through the thick haze, how hard she had worked herself. How much she had fought, first to get to the DHD, then to make it work. Only to fail repeatedly. She had been as cold as him. Granted, not injured and inactive but he had seen her shivering. And had known she was in as much trouble as he when the shivering stopped completely. And still she had continued. She had followed his order and tried to climb out of their freezing hellhole. Only to fail again. At that point he had given up. And so had she. They had been convinced there was no way home and they had both come to accept that they were going to die. He didn't remember much else.

She looked up at him and then he remembered. Sarah. Much like in Iraq, he had thought of her. He had seen her face and tried to hold on to that. But laying here, in the infirmary bed, his young Captain looking up at him, he realized her face had been slightly blurry and the blue eyes that had kept him going had definitely not been Sarah's. They had been the gorgeous baby blues of the beautiful young woman sitting in front of him, biting her lip and looking more hesitant than he had ever seen her.

'Sir?' She quietly asked. 'I'm glad you're okay.' He smiled and couldn't resist slipping his hand into hers. Her skin was warm and though his was too, the touch felt blessed after days of freezing cold.

'So am I, Captain. As crazy and selfish as it may sound, I'm glad you were there with me.' And she offered him another shy smile.

'I'm glad you were there too. I wouldn't have made it without you.'

'Of course you would have, Captain. You basically did it on your own. You can't pretend I was much help.' She was about to argue and he threw her a pointed look, one finger pointing at his casted leg. She folded. 'You would have made it on your own, Sam.'

'I would have given up without you.' She said nonetheless. He raised a quizzical eyebrow. 'I wouldn't have fought as long and as hard if it hadn't been to save another person.'

'Are you telling me I have a suicidal officer on my team?' The look on her face was all the answer he needed.

'No! No, sir, never. I'm just saying that, having someone to save, someone's life depending on me gave me more reason to keep fighting than if it had just been me.' Jack threw her yet another look and squeezed her fingers.

'Saving me is not necessarily a good thing.' He joked. But apparently she wasn't in a joking mood. Or she didn't get it.

'Yes it is, sir. You're as valuable to this program as me. And I've come to appreciate you as a CO.'

'Hey! What's that supposed to mean?' She giggled.

'No giggling, Captain!' She bit her lip again but he could see the smile in her eyes. 'There, you look so much more beautiful with a smile on your face.' She froze, looking at him, shock written all over her face. And he realized what he had just said. 'Oh God, did I just say that?' She nodded, still in shock. 'I'm sorry, Sam. It's the meds talking.' And finally, her face softened again and she smiled.

'Only the meds, sir?' He frowned before glaring at her.

'Sneaky little thing. You know it's not. I'm not supposed to say that though.'

'It's okay. I won't tell. It's always nice to hear though.'

'That a hint, Captain?'

'Maybe.' She teased and he squeezed her fingers again.

'Well you know, you _are_ beautiful. Smiling or not. But smiling is better.'

And she grinned her mega watt smile which always made him forget what he had said to cause the smile and everything else around them. It didn't fail. His vision focused on her face, smiling lips, shining eyes. _Oh yeah, she was trouble. Had been the minute she stepped into the briefing room, ready to take on the world._

'I can tell.' She giggled and he glared at her.

'Don't push it, missy. Or I'm going to have you up on charges?' She mock gasped.

'For what?'

'Illegal cuteness and endangerment of an Air Force officer through extensive use of beautiful eyes and deadly beautiful smile.' Her eyebrows raised again in shock, though this time, amusement was evident in her eyes. 'Oh God. Just put me to sleep already.' She giggled again. 'You're not helping.'

'Sorry, sir.'

'No you're not.'

'Not really, no.'

'Smartass. C'mere.' He said, gently tugging at her hand. She frowned.

'Sir?'

'I want a hug. For my trouble.'

'Sure that's wise, sir?'

'It absolutely isn't. But I need to make your crossing to see me worth your while.' She frowned. 'Knee.' He explaining, waving in the general direction of her legs. 'Can't have someone say I put my officers through pain so they can come see me and then I don't make it worth it.'

'You didn't really ask me to come.'

'Doesn't matter. Just get in the damn bed, Sam. I'm cold and that blanket looks warm.'

She raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything as she laid down in the bed, her head resting next to his shoulder. She pulled the blanket over them, arranging it so it was covering as much of both of them as possible. Their fingers were still tangled and she wiggled her toes against his shins. He turned his head and pressed his face against the top of her head and she knew it had to hurt his neck. Except for their feet and hands, they weren't quite touching, a mere inch separating their bodies. And yet he was leaning in to touch her head. She smiled and squeezed his fingers.

'Cold, huh?'

'Not really. Good enough excuse though. Now rest, Sam. I'm tired. So are you.'

'Need to go back to my bed to sleep.' She mumbled.

'No, you don't. No one needs to know. And if they do we'll say it was the aftershock of almost dying together.'

'Okay.' She whispered softly. He kissed the top of her head once.

'Goodnight, Sam.'

'Goodnight, Jack.' They both breathed in deeply, closing their eyes and starting to doze off.

'And remember, stay off the ribs.'

Sam giggled, burying her face against his shoulder. Jack smiled and squeezed her fingers again just as they both fell into the arms of Morpheus.


End file.
